365 Days in the World of a LifeSchooling Mom

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In the midst of our move, I missed this cool reference made in the The Boston Gazette to a post I wrote on Joshua Bell Busking. It made my heart smile, that even when we take a hiatus from our creation in the world, the gifts we’ve offered keep filtering and fluttering on through the glorious cyber-world many of us call home.
This is a thought-provoking article on preserving beauty. While I do believe the music of our time now passionately ignites people in ways Bach invoked in days passed, it reminds us to reflect and rekindle relationship with the mystical musical virtuosos of our history.
InJOY… jenni
p.s. and if you want to catch the cool clip of people actually passing by Joshua Bell as he plays his heart out in a Subway station, click the LifeSchool Inc. post at the end of this article.

“A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The wind begins, distant, echoing. With each breath whispers ever closer, moving reluctant trees and restless heart. Then at once sweeps me up, with wonder, bewilderment. I am weary. Until reverence rescues me and I am keenly aware it was simply time to move.

I have known little familiarity over these last few months. A world once predictable, filled with keen constants in relationships with family and friends and community, shifted in an instant and I have been officially Moved…

by truck,

to tears,

in awe.

We have deemed this past holiday season as The Christmas of Perspective. Like a surreal and incomprehensible dream, I nearly lost both my sisters to illness. In one moment, we are giddy with inside banter only soul sisters can grasp; in the next moment, sirens near and far are shattering the sweet silence I’ve come to know in sharing life with these tender and treasured women.

I can say with certainly, I glimpsed my death. To live in this world without the very lifelines of my existence, to be left to wander this earth, while they sipped, sauntered and swirled in the light fantastic of the bliss beyond the veil, would be sure peril for me. I knew their love, I know their hearts and mine, but I do not know that I knew thisuntil I glimpsed our possible end.

There are souls that tread the path, who hold our spirits in their hand with thought or word or deed and make this crazy world seem sane, draw heaven down to us to light the way.

My sisters, courageous Carrie and precious Pamie, are these souls to me and while I would have taken every ounce of pain they endured as my own, I am filled to spilling-free with gratitude for all this, and the clarity and hope and understanding it has brought to us all.

I can write this now, I think, because they are healing every day in body, we are loving each other more completely in spirit and are using our minds to find courageous ways to care for ourselves anew.

I know I am not alone in this journey of nearly losing a loved one. I know I was, we are, the lucky ones. There is loss every day across the world, pain unpredictable and raw. Perhaps, just perhaps, the messages on the wind are somewhat the same.

Beyond a Move of Heart, we also picked up house and have shifted to our new community of Innisfil. This brought its own set of swirling winds, perhaps not as keenly for Todd who has embraced his dream job, or with me, who has been a gypsy all life long, but for our boys the world became uncertain for time. And so we did what we do, we got busy, we surrendered and embraced a chance for spirit to lift us free.

And OH BOY has She ever!

In just over a month, the signs have come fast and furious that not only was our time in Thunder Bay perfect and precious, but the shifting-on necessary and liberating as well.

Todd is empowering change and quietly making his loving mark on team and student and reveling in the support of the visionaries who understand aligning passion and integrity with conscious action.

Our children have drawn closer to us and we talk deeply about our hopes, our fears and the miracles that are made when we are open and aware of the opportunities around us and the loving Spirit who guides us perfectly to where we need to blow.

Friends of old and serendipitously new have emerged with ease and kindness and pure love. Home is discovered in our hearts, and in this place however long it may last. As we have learned so sweetly of the power of living in the moment and embracing life as it comes, in echoes, flutters, in the gentle breeze that caresses our cheek and ignites our willing hearts.

And, just yesterday, the clam surrendered with the pearl… A recommendation from a friend in our community past, to a member of our community new, and upon meeting face-to-face a dream of friendship, and business building and vision creation begins. And this kindred soul ‘just happened’ to know of a whole host of home/life schooling families sharing this adventure.

Hmmmm… perhaps, just perhaps, the messages on the wind are the same for all of us Moved…

1. Live Presently

2. Release Willingly what was

3. Surrender Keenly to what is

4. Know Clearly there is a miracle at work here

5. Trust Fully that you will never be Moved without reason

6. Rejoice Radically because dancing in the wind, as we did when we were kiddies, is Always, Always a good thing!

To your Moved Life …

In Light, with Love,

jenni

And as my feet lifted off,
my breath caught,
up,
higher,
higher.
I looked up,
out,
in
and I knew…just knew…the perfection of it all.And from that second on…I was FREE.

Ever get the feeling that one of two things are true of your life, either everything is a divine unfolding of spirit-expanding events OR someone’s havin’ a hearty laugh?!

Ahhh but believing the former is what keeps us sane and, in all seriousness, when you spend enough time in the trenches, maaaannnn does the sweet smell of higher ground dizzy your desperate senses!

These months have been a time of delicious discoveries.

Let me be clear, it hasn’t always felt that way, but does it ever? And yet, in retrospect I am in awe of the Happy Dance the Universe is now doing, knowing I know now what I know.

For those who have journeyed with me by page or by path, you know my father means the world to me.

Three weeks ago he collapsed and, despite the centered exterior, I tumbled with him. Nine stitches in the head, a cracked pelvic bone and a shaken spirit later, there were moments I wondered if the man I knew would find his way back to whole. I did the delicate dance between caregiver and cheerleader, conscientious guide and coaxer.
I can say with deep gratitude and awe that He is Back.

When we are silently or powerfully called by those we love to lay plans and ways aside, we simply must answer.
In moments this is easy, but the real key is to do it anyway when it’s not, all the while keeping check of finding balance between responsibilities and soul-rejuvenation.

In all this, our boys have been wildly wonderful, taking our mantra of Compassion out for a full spin.

We have found that all the best laid plans will somehow come when we surrender to the needs of others and communicate, communicate, communicate through it all. We caught up all our Lifeschool work this week and have claimed moments for joy. We have been blessed with souls who flow. Ahhhhmen!

All the while we have been collecting tidbits for our book, aimed to demonstrate and inspire Star Claiming… Those deliberate acts designed to ignite joy, peace, love in our hearts, in those around us and in the world.

Soooo what are the Riveting Revelations that may spark a ReMembering, a reconnection with your wise Guru in You?

…
1. Take not one breath of one loved one for granted. Write, speak, of your love. Get down on one knee, send a note, shout from a rooftop. Whatever your mode of deliverance, imagine you may never have the chance again and Share It Now.

2. Life will always call you to More, to Give More, to See More, to Do More, to Be more… We must offer what we know will serve and discover ways to balance our In Breath with out Out Breath to the world. How do you Center yourself in the midst of chaos? You are only as effective to those in need, as you are capable of knowing when to receive.

3. The Moment At Which we Think We’ve Got IT, life will shift the rules. This is simple fact, our Survival, but most importantly our Thrival, depends on our ability to surrender, regroup and recognize there is opportunity for Evolution in it All! Yes! Especially when you simply do not feel that could possibly be true. Reflect on your life, when has chaos brought greater understanding? What are you learning right here right now through the challenges you face? No one knows you like You know you, so book a counseling session with self and delve in;)

It is good to see the renewed twinkle in my Dad’s eyes… To take this journey with my boys, chatting all the while about what we’re called to do and focusing on the love with which we do it… And to have a partner through it all who truly SEES me and knows just when a rose may cause me to pause and consider the miracle of me, even and especially when I simply forget that to be.

I pray that what you’ve read here sparks a knowing in your heart, a way forward on a clearer path, a deeper understanding of the miracle of you.

Because really, as we know,
What is true for one of us,
Is also made real for all of us,
So intertwined our blessed essence IS.

Soooo another season of official mentoring and education has begun. Summer breezes are whispers of the past, lolly gagging is no longer excusable and we, as parents and worker bees, are required to step up our game.

So how ya doin’?

Are you embracing with grace, the ride back in, or are you eye rolling and pining for one more fling with the sun?

If you are anything like me you need a gear-up, an inspiring transition to kick-start your desire to give er for another year of expanding and reflecting and expanding again.

My gear-up came in a couple of ways this fall, one for me and one for the fam.

For me, if you’ve read previous posts you’ll know I pamper myself with retreat… Not at The Ritz but a raw return to simple at a bare-bones, spirit-beckoning retreat. It isn’t for everyone, the wood stove, the 1 meal a day, the walk for water and basic propane flame for tea making, but it is for me. It ignites my soul and reminds me of how little I need from the world to bring me joy.

For the fam, we kicked off LifeSchool with a trip to the Renaissance Festival in Minneapolis. We were wowed, delighted and dazzled by fairy forests and jousting matches and a reminder that being a lover of all that stirs the soul to learn to dance to romantically embrace the arts, the fantastical, is for us.

And so this post has a purpose…

I invite you, even now, weeks into this season of grind and gettin’ er done, to plan for your magnificent mentoring. This can only come when you engage in the thoughtful, the planning, the consideration of the purpose of your season and reason for contributing what you will of mind and soul.

I invite you to find a task, a trip, a time that will engage you, first as a singular soul, and then as a couple, a family, a team… to learn, to wander and wonder a while and set your sights on possibility, prioritizing what will enhance you as a peaceful, mentoring warrior and then the sacred bonds of you as a family, community.

Put on your oxygen mask first folks, take whatever air you need and then by all means share the buzz of enlightened vision. But all I can say is… If you don’t, if you hit this season running and wishing and pining, your magnificence will be less, your children’s will be less.

Trust me…nay, Trust YOU…We need and deserve time to BE, to adjust and understand that even if we are the only ones to ever court the magnificence within us, we’re worth it… Do this enough and those that surround you won’t be able to avoid the hint. ;)

Let’s get cited k??! It’s gonna be a good one and oooh man are we worth it.

How else are we going to show the next generation they are too?

Soooo stoked to be back with you, LifeSchooling it up.

In the spirit of a H#@@ YES! year,
j

p.s. I’ve started writing a book that I do believe can change, in simple yet profound ways, how we court this young world of miracles into understanding the power they posses with those hearts they wield. Hence a little less blogging and a lot more chapter development. But rest assured I’ll share the tidbits here… As you were my ‘firsts’ of sorts. We shall always love each other true;)

Communing with nature is the surest and swiftest way to pure, sweet escape and irrevocable rejuvenation.

Here we find ourselves, amidst the trees and truth for 3-weeks of tenting, rain or shine, chilling or basking, to release, relax and return to who we are, really, away from the ways of the whirling world.

Whatever creates buzz or wonder in your family needs be planned and indulged in. For when the world becomes too much with us, it will be these shimmering moments in memory that will sustain us through the mad and unpredictable ones.

What childhood memories sustain you to this very day? What indulgences do you engage in with your children to revive your spirits?

Whatever they are, may they be lazy and luxurious, or spellbinding and invigorating… regardless, may they be everlasting.

Happy summer. Happy life.

As always, I’d love to hear your adventures of heart and spirit.
jenni

Like a thread of hope, of truth playing out, teasing, testing, daring you to trust, the events of your life weave forth in perfect rhythm and time empowering your spirit always, always, to stretch and dance and rise in grand design, that your limitlessness be realized.

It would be in keeping with Grand Design that after a month of Wham, that I would be whisked away on an adventure that has called to my heart for years, but was brought to fruition at this very moment in time to be realized. I purchased the tickets months ago and the only condition my hubby put on the gift of time was this, “You MUST go alone. You must tell no one.”

I don’t know how he knows, but he always knows and this is the reason I laughingly say so very often, “There is definitely a reason why God rhymes with Todd, life’s answer to my soul’s search for love.”

And so I purchased those premium seats to the I Can Do It conference in Toronto and the tingles began. Although I’ve been on this introspective, spirit-pumping, postitive-vibing journey with Hay House authors since Louise Hay brought the magic to the stage, I just knew something big, bigger than ever before, was in the works.

I think just the knowing that I was going, that I held this precious little secret of me-time in my heart of truths, was enough to have me riding the waves of cluster-crazy like a veteran surfer dudette.

Did it live up to the hype? OHHHHH Ya… and then some.

And so, in the essence of shaking a little of Whamtacular dust on YOU, I‘m giving you the highlights and the links to the Authors/Speaker/Movers-in-Shakers that rocked my days and have catapulted my life to new heights since returning home. (Please note, that with the plethora of info received, the speakers’ insights here may not be ‘exact’, but rather my interpretations. I hope I’ve done them justice and please do click their links for access to the real deal.)

I hope you take a little, explore a little, let the magic here permeate your spirit and ignite in you a desire to Get Busy and Sprinkle it ON…

YES!, OH YES! You Can Do It Too! (And you know it or you wouldn’t be reading this right here, right now).

Sprinkle Sprinkle…

#1 Write down the top 10 things that are draining you, distracting you from your spiritual connection and Get Busy.

You know, those things that anchor you to this human life, to the physical realm. DO THEM, check them off your list and make way for a perpetual stream of consciousness, spirit-spiration, and WoW Wisdom Living.

Visit the magnificent and life-shifting coach and speaker, Cheryl Richardson, for more life-igniting gems.

#2 Tappity, Tap, Tap, Tap for Peace, Personal Power & Prosperity.

I was blown away by Nick Ortner’s modern-day version of this ancient technique, Acupressure through Tapping combined with positive suggestion. Its simplicity, its inexplicable ability to shift worry, upset, frustration and anger to deeper understanding, release and peace, offers lasting hope for life. I took it out for a short spin to begin and let go instantly of a nagging back pain. (I know, wild hey?) And I’ve implemented it with my kiddies to help them deal with the strange, beautiful and sometimes frustrating world of being a kid.

#3 The Power of the Whole Universe lies within us, just Waiting to BE Unleashed, again and again and again…as we Evolve to Higher and Higher Heights of WoW.

I know, it sounds crazy, but for those of us who’ve studied this over the years, for those keenly aware of the logic of energy that makes up everything and bends to our conscious command, we are open… we know… and even we forget to GET IT sometimes or we get bogged down in the function of this life rather than the pure, sweet, limitless Flllloooowwww.

At I Can Do It Toronto, a number of exceptional minds-&-hearts of our time spoke to this.

Wayne Dyer connected us to the power of ancient energy that can reconnect and elevate us, simply by listening. His I AM, Wishes Fulfilled meditation CD, brings us home to the energy and sound of God through music and a guided meditation. Experiencing “I Am That I Am”, visualizing “That” which you, as a divine being, wish to be is extraordinary in bringing peace and sweet, longed-for abundance to your life.Visit Wayne to get yours. :)

Gregg Braden empowered us to touch our heart-center, open our eyes to our ability to live more love, extend our lives by hundreds of years and be a part of this extraordinary time when our very existence no longer survives by means of competition but survives and thrives based on cooperation and mutual aid. Within ourselves, within all existence there lies a Deep Truth and it can be found by understanding our origin, our history and our fate. Visit Gregg for a path to more.

Looking for a perpetual honeymoon and to understand your role in making living, lasting, present-moment love your way of life? Oh, like who isn’t? This Bruce Lipton blows minds and expands hearts with his scientific stats, flow charts and rapid-fire banter that suddenly and succinctly, enlightens you to the role you play in the creation of your magnificent life. For more Honeymoonesque insights, visit Bruce Lipton.

And lastly, on this subject, a man whom I’ve been fueled by since my early twenties, the beautiful, oozing-calm-&-wit, Brian Weiss. By exploring our past, in this life and in lives of long, long ago, the imagination, the soul’s beckoning, and the peace we find in quiet contemplation, there is no limit to the insights we may discover and the peace we may bring forth into this life for ourselves and those who journey with us. I LOVE his Regression meditation and our lil guys are often found, ear-buds in, sitting cross-legged, closed eyes, journeying to the past within their minds, to this CD too. Visit Brian for a real treat.

There are two more subjects I’d like to review for you, but undoubtedly, for today your mind and heart are full with all there is here to explore. In the spirit of allowing you to take it allll in. I will leave you here.

In the next few days I will give you tidbits from some extraordinary health gurus and a young man who speaks to what Youth of Today truly need from us to be empowered to live their YES! Lives. I do hope you will tap back in if you feel so called.

Wishing you a day that sheds light on the miracle of you, that, when understood and tapped, will undoubtedly spill over and into the lives of the loved ones and communities that surround you.

Have you ever come-to, in unfamiliar surroundings, groggy, trying desperately to focus, asking, “What happened?”, stunned to realize you’d been in an accident? Perhaps not literally, but figuratively?

This month, this time I’ve put all things cyber aside, I was hit by a freight train and until this weekend, I didn’t even know it. Let’s be real. I didn’t want to know it. That’s always the way it is, isn’t it?

All I can say is (well o.k I’ll say a little more), be careful what you ask this Universe for, because man oh man you better be willing to ante up and take the shift that’ll hit the proverbial fan as you are blown toward your deepest desires.

When I considered how I would even begin to convey all that has transpired and what relevance it might have to you, I knew a listing of the crazy just wouldn’t suffice.
First, it may not seem crazy to you, because this isn’t your gig.
Second, what good would that do you?
Let’s face it even if you love me, a little or a lot or want to just because you’ve come to know a little of my story,
you still sure as hell don’t want nobody’s crazy, or at least you shouldn’t.

And so I give it to ya like this…

The Gem Gleaned from the Shift and a little background for context.

Hold on for the ride, maybe you’ve been bobbing or soaring through some Whammo experiences yourself and will discover your truth reflected here too.

Gem #1

Not Me, Not Mine. Love n’ Let Go!

On my recent retreat, Ajahn Punnadhammo, the Buddhist master, was giving a riveting talk that my 6 year-old son and I drank in like cold lemonade on a scorcher.

“As a young monk in training I was coming to terms with the concept in Buddhism that there is no I, that situations and life flow and cannot be served by my attachment to them. In this there can only be suffering. And so I tacked a sign to a tree that I passed by each morning on my meditation walk that read, “Not Me, Not Mine” as a reminder.”

I considered this as I looked to my son who gazed intently. Was he really not mine? I mean, in my belief, I know he isn’t my possession, but lent to us by God for a time. I get he is his own soul and often far wiser than I, but what does this mean to my role as his Mother?

Over the last six weeks we have averaged at least 1 trip to emerg per week, Nathaniel with the cold sore near his eye, the following week Liam with four stitches in his head, a week after that, Nathaniel with one stitch in his chin and one round of the stomach flu for good measure. This all happened despite the fact that they are in my constant sight (for the most part, although the blood curdling scream always seems to come from the other room), despite my warnings, despite their coordination, our healthy diet and basic positive outlook on life.

And so Wham, I SEE.
Life happens, with or without my permission and I am the better, the more, for flowing in peace, and love and without attachment. “Not Me, Not Mine.” I love and let go, trusting that I will know when to assist, how to comfort, exactly the right amount of boo-boo kisses to administer and then… I will Let Go. Because for me, I am able to live more clearly and freely knowing we are not alone and that when I cannot be in charge, God most certainly is, regardless of the outcome and He knows and delivers only LOVE.

Gem #2

Wanna Make God Laugh, Just Tell Him Your Plans

Cause the Universe knows your Heart Even Better Than YOU.

Todd and I sat down and wrote out our 5-year plan, the trips, the purchases, the savings, the investments, the contributions. We had it all figured out. Because hey, Todd now had his dream job and things were solid. I had just taken on two new clients and they signed contracts, and things were solid. (Can you hear God giggling?)

Literally, 1 week later, Todd found out that the parent company he works for would be shutting down the Thunder Bay campus. The Canadian president from Toronto arrived in his doorway and Todd had this hunch he wasn’t there for a budget meeting. Two weeks later I got a phone call from my client, yes I said ‘phone call’ although we live in the same city. She let me know that, despite our signed 6-month contract, our personal relationship and the fact that she felt up until this point I had served her well, she was done, her personal coaching as well as the business contract she had with me. She was done, just done. That minute.

Wham.

Okay, what now? Ahhh, perhaps some, maybe even many, might be shaken by this. After all we were on year 10 of ebbing and flowing in entrepreneurial gigs that provided no benefits, no certainly. But hey, if we have learned one thing up to this point, God always, always has our back and our best interests at heart. So we needed to process and trust and plan anew.

Truth talks with my client happened, that had to happen, because I do believe, honestly and beautifully that we are here to encourage, educate and enlighten one another. I spoke my piece about integrity and the essential nature of open communication and compassionate business. She listened, although time will tell if she hears. Could I have taken action based on our signed contract? Many asked if I would. Yes, I suppose I could, but that simply isn’t my way. I believe in abundance, not scarcity. I spoke my truth and then told she and her partner that they could decide if they would at least honour the hours I had incurred to date. If yes, great. If not, so be it. Done. And I felt so free. Giddy actually. For as you can imagine, I knew I no longer wanted to continue with a person who’s values were so very opposite from my own.
Todd came home the day I received the call, sat beside me on the couch and said, “Oh Jenni I’m thrilled. You get that God is calling you to the work you are really meant to do, NOW, right?”

Oh Yes baby, I get it NOW. Wham.

And Todd’s company has been fantastic. He has been offered a wonderful package to see the school through to closing and an opportunity to take on a president position in Southern Ontario in a year. And, he will finally get to fulfill another dream, to complete his MBA.

Wham. And hey, thanks Universe. You ROCK!

Gem #3

In the midst of chaos, the centered souls of compassion and hope and love find you and sweetly carry you through, if only you will let them.

The miracles of friendship and learning and inspiration have been limitless throughout this time, although perhaps they are just learning of their impact as they read this. :)

Beautiful Laura Simonson, of Modern Vegan Family,
you are the soul’s answer to a whispered request for a true and passionate friend.

This month in hope of spreading the word about her extraordinary biz and vision for a healthy, vegucated, vibrant, vital community and planet, I started a Veg Explorers group in T-Bay and we took Vegan out for a full spin. Every Tuesday, Laura Google-Hanged with us, encouraging, enlightening, inspiring and healing us with her ideas and delicious, delightful meat-replacement opps. Wow. We met kindred souls who joined us on the journey, and our two little guys and Todd and I have embraced this health shift and we’re loving it. Bless you for being the change and then empowering us to change too.

One day I opened my mailbox to find a thick, heavy package filled to the brim with glorious CDs of Judy’s music. She and her husband have touched the hearts of our children, Bruce the Moose, runs through my head as I write. And your angelic message of love has enriched my world beyond words.

Please visit Judy’s Website, to learn more about Judy’s amazing journey of heart and voice so that you too can be uplifted.

Erin Osesky, for a talk shared that rekindled a belief in the stories of soul that I need to share with the world. Your sparkle is second to none and I am blissed and blessed that in marrying Todd I gain in you a friend, a cuz and a true sister of soul.

Wham, and Wahhhooo!

Gem #4

Be Cool with the Cave Cause You’ll Come Out Conscious and Clear and Creative and Ready to Dazzle the World in New and Wondrous Ways

So why did I seem to abandon my vision for writing for 365 days to reveal the world of a LifeSchooling mom? Two reasons.

1. When the going gets rough, I get IN… or go IN rather.

It’s always been that way, from the time I was a little girl. I didn’t like this about me for the first few weeks, I was shirking my responsibility to you (as I saw it then), but WHAM. I get it. It is one of those things I own about me now and I like it or I’d toss it. I need to process, get with God and then deliver. And it’s always worth the wait!

2. And then there are times when you share in the midst, because hey, maybe another person has an answer you’re not privy to yet. (Exception to each and every rule).
This blogging thing is tough.
Not the writing part, but the promo part and the silly trick that your ego plays on you as you check the stats.

Honestly, there are moments when I ask myself why I continue this blog. I’ve had 40 people signed up for the last 6 months, not one single more. Stay with me, this isn’t a pity party I promise. True, as my husband reminds me, many more read it although they aren’t signed up, but in my life I’ve only done what flowed easily. I work like a dog to create and communicate, but when I unleash ideas into the Universe, folks line up at the door to get in and I am wowed with the perfection of it all.

I see blogs that have thousands of followers that have poor quality messages and poor writing or gimmicks and gizmos galore. I get the pr gig, it is my training, but I believe it is possible to do it another way, by word of mouth and consistent quality and powerful messages. With so little time with my kiddies and a true desire to share my message with the world, I wonder if the moments spent here may be better served by being poured into a book. Hmm? I want to serve people who long to hear, with a message that resonates, uplifts, inspires, even drives them to higher heights within their own lives. I do this when I’m on stage, when I speak, when I share a message that I am passionate about, but this blog doesn’t seem to reach many and I can’t see the results it is having, truly…not for a quick fix, but a life jolt for lasting effect. Don’t have an answer here, but this is what I am meditating on right now.

I believed in launching this that I would be able to interact with people more, about the topics, hear their ideas, engage in community… there is something about my work, my writing that isn’t sparking this. If you’ve got insights, sweet, harsh or otherwise, as always…I’ll put it out there for your comments. Still hoping this may work on some level to make you put thoughts to the page in a comment to me.

Regardless of where this flows from here…

Wow What a Ride… Wham! I’ve honed my writing muscle. I’ve learned to get real
and share of heart rather than just words and lists n’ tips
like is so typical in our world today. This has empowered me to grow
in countless ways and each reader, each comment, each inspired message
I have received has fueled the passions within me. For this I am eternally grateful. Bless you for sticking with me.

May these Gems resonate, reverberate and rekindle a knowing within you all your own.

To building a community of mentors, lifers, movers and shakers that will see the lessons in the train wrecks of life and Wham…see the light that comes pouring from within when we are cracked wide and open for anything.

This is one of the most extraordinary videos I have ever “felt” (Make sure your sound is up :) ).

As you loose yourself in the dance, consider the magic of life, the awe-inspiring current of mystical that pulses through every moment of our lives. Even, perhaps especially, through the times when events occur we can hardly understand.
When you reflect, you may find, as I do, that it is uncanny how protected, honored and encouraged I have been through every one of life’s ebbs ad flows. The lessons have been deep and moving, have called me to endure and ante up and always culminate in more profound understandings of the love within it all.

As a parent, there is no greater ache then to see your child in pain, be it of body or heart. And yet we all know of its inevitability and its grander purpose for growth. It does not make it any easier.

This weekend Liam fell and came to me with quite the gusher. My heart physically ached for his tears. As I held him, I suddenly became keenly aware of how this precious being of almost seven has captivated me, wholly.

3 stitches in his head, a lesson in mindfulness for him, later, I feel the current. A loose tooth for lil Nathaniel and then its loss, his pain and then joy, I feel the spirit. Our settling in this town with family and then discovering work calls us to another city to build a life, I feel the Divine at work, even play.

All of this, an illuminating and intoxicating dance of surrender, compassion, understanding and love.

If I could teach our children only one thing it would be…

Dance. Surrender and dance, knowing you are blown,
swept up, swept away, tossed high, released and held,
with powerful, consistent, perfect love.
Know this, trust this,
and the miracles of life
will not pass you by unnoticed.

May you watch this, feel this, video and see the perfection of your life’s journey today and forevermore. Know you are loved my friend and never, ever alone.

In honor of the dance,
jenni

p.s. I would be remiss if I did not thank our minister Randy Boyd of Trinity United for bringing this video and its message to light this past Sunday. We were profoundly moved and are eternally grateful for the dance we take with you in love. ;) xo

My life, as with all our lives, is an inexhaustible series of opportunities to adapt, to shift with the callings of spirit, flow with what the world lays before me. How we roll determines whether we struggle and strain, or surrender.

I choose ease and trust and allowing the uncertainty of it all to percolate within me as a grand and growing excitement, even when a part of me wishes things had remained just as they were.

Don’t get me wrong, if you read the About page here, you’ll notice that I thrive on change and challenge, but after 20 years of shifting across country and position, I’ve been craving a little rest and consistency, in all honesty.

So when, on Wednesday, we got the news that my husband’s job would have us relocate to Southern Ontario, for the first time, I felt the ground move from not only under my feet, but the foundation of my soul waver.

I have loved our time here in Thunder Bay. More than I ever thought possible really. I love the listless lull of space and breath and time in it all. I have fallen hopelessly in love with the Sleeping Giant and the ebb and flow, even the brisk breezes, of our Superior Lake. The people have wooed me and won my heart and I have a found a quality of spirit and nature here second to none. And above all, for those who know me, know this… this time with my family, particularly my Daddy, at this stage of his life, our connection, our ever-evolving love and understanding, this I have treasured beyond all expression. We will find a way to stay close, as ever. I must believe this and intend for it to be.

I am so very glad we will have a year to transition and bask in the moments remaining and the connections we’ve made here.

And yet while I mourn, I learned long ago never to question the callings of heart.
Each time I follow in recognizing what is right is right,
no matter the unspoken worry or fear that quietly nods,
all doubt is dispelled with the arrival and the unfolding perfection of it all.

And so … we flow.

I have gone within, deep and sweet and real, these last few days. As a family we have wept, we have dreamed, we have reached out to those we know we will miss and those who will welcome us to our new home with open arms.

And through it all, I have realized 3 things:

1. All that you think is solid and real and true, is fleeting. What we think is so very sure, can change in the blink of an eye. Just when we think we’ve figured out the game, ‘they’ go and change all the rules. You never truly understand how blessed and beautiful the seconds of your life are, until you come face-to-face with time’s fleeting reality.

2. When life shifts under your feet, it will be your loved ones that will empower you to realize, no matter what changes, their love for you never will, and with this, anything is possible.

3. From beginning to end this journey is about trust. We must cultivate a relationship with what I call, the Guru Within, so that when the time comes to choose which road to travel or forge, you can swiftly go in, listen and, without a doubt, know the way to go.

From these 3 realizations, 3 bits to hold fast to:

1. You never know when you last time will occur… the last dinner with a friend, the last kiss, the last walk through that familiar park. Sad? Yes. But better that we understand it and choose to truly and consciously cherish every experience, so we have No Regrets when that last comes, as it must. Pause each and every day and SEE your life for what it is, A Miracle. The people you know, the laughter you share, the pain you endure, the little things, the grand… all of it, will never pass this way again and we will never know how much we loved it until we no longer have it.

2. Surround yourself with quality people. Treasure the quality of family and friends around you and never miss a moment to tell them, show them, just how wonderful they make this world for you.

3. Go within, often and much, and come to know and trust the quiet, still voice that whispers all the truths of your soul, all the truths of the Universe, for your understanding, should you listen and hear.

Uncertainty in life is inevitable,
but our ability to see it all through the eyes of a child
as if opening a new gift on Christmas morn,
this is the difference
between enduring change and
making something anew in its wake.

We have time before we leave this place we call home, but you can imagine, not one single second of it will be passing me by unawares.

This is a post of pure, particular, powerful, present WoW-Gratitude.
In celebration of moments that I long to linger, to hold cradled in my heart for eternity,
this goes out to those who have INpowered me
to understand that what I am, truly am, and share is ENOUGH.

Is there a greater gift we could offer to another?

Simply no.

We enter into this world just as we are,
looking to BE,
to discover our groove,
to find our way and,
in that way,
shift the world a little for good.

Ohh but as we grow, can we be swayed, knocked off course, made to doubt and dally. Sadly, we can wake one day and wonder where we went, how that true essence that whispers through the din of this crazy world got drowned out for a time.

Or we can remain true to the whisperings, intentionally flowing from knowing to action, not willing to sell out for what sells, keepin’ it real, remaining true to balance of all the values we hold dear, recognizing this creates less of the BANG effect so often needed for notice.

Those that choose the latter route do it not for recognition or for rousing the masses, but simply because they understand that life’s essence is in the details, and are committed to what beckons from within, knowing to not do it would mean the slow destruction of self.

This, doing for the sake of passion, for love of the work itself, paid or unpaid, riveting the masses or even just one, this, I believe, is where true success is born. But it may take the world time to take note, if in fact it ever does at all. And yet, it matters not to the pilgrim of inner purpose, for their game is already won.

There have been high moments in my life when I have ridden the world-train, climbed the ladder, appeased my ego and found the treasures glitzy and empty that follow.

But then I woke, relinquished contribution to GNP (gross national power) to make way for offering heart and soul for a greater good, to families with children with disabilities, those needing hospice, to community projects aimed to weave a greater bond between citizens.

Our Heroic Team:)

I met my soul friend and man, bore my children, and answered yet another call to love better and more and clearer. I chose to homeschool, to follow my children in their creative joys, to support my husband in the pursuit of his visions of heart, and to write, no matter who read, just to write.

Writing has been my solace, my friend, my crutch, my venue for unleashing dream to page and empowering systematic approach for achievement. I have written for love, to enable client’s to increase bottom line and prestige, but this, this blog … It’s raw, it’s real, no PR spin, just me, my life and the lives of my family members laid bare.

Considering this, scared the hell out of me quite frankly. Putting us ‘out there’ for 365 days freaked me a little. I mean, no one can stabilize a facade that long. ;) And so, I get real, I share the skinny and that which scares me. In a former life, I would have seen this as weakness, as a death certificate for success.

But the world is changing. The world is in our bedrooms, our hearts, our evening antics are tweeted and the powerful pursuits of soul and dirty secrets revealed.Playing field, officially leveled.

And so I change with it and am awed by the freedom I now know and the depth of relationships I now have.

In yesterday’s post I shared my soul. I debated whether I would, whether people would care to even hear really… I mean people come to me for their joy-fix not the pity party.

This poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox echoes in me, always has really, deep and clear…
“Laugh and the world laughs with you.
Cry, and you cry alone…”

I believed this B.S. really. For so very long. And for the fair weather folks this is real, and a gift in disguise for any who might confuse them for true.

The world I now know and love is right there in it with me, loving me in it all and I them, and we are more for baring soul, coming to terms with our humanity and never relinquishing our passionate pursuit of evolving to more.

My beautiful soul friends rallied to spontaneously honor my contribution and truth in the world yesterday, my husband’s cousin sat and asked me all about my journey of serendipitous-unfolding to date, the love of friends poured forth like a well I struck without ever knowing I was seeking… But feel rich beyond imaginings for finding.

This life is good. But goodness is a choice and it is, most assuredly,
based on our ability to know ourselves, love ourselves
and listen and act on the spirit that lives within that always,
always,
whispers us on our way to greater joy, health, peace, truth and love.

Thank you, my friends, this community we’ve conjured, for allowing me to see once again, that me being just me, is really, truly, simply ENOUGH.

Bless you… I could not love or appreciate you more for simply being you, always ENOUGH;)

For all Mothers…to children, furry ones, nurturers of the planet and its people, and the men who love them well, freeing them up to love better and more…Happy Day of celebrating the powerful difference you make in the world with your attention, compassion and pure, devoted love!